A Reason To Stay (20 page)

When they finally made it to the front of the airport, Elise jumped out and put her bags on the sidewalk. Feeling conscious of being braless, she closed another button and reached in the back to give the kids a quick kiss goodbye. Melanie got an extra hug.

“Thank you so much, Melanie. I’m sorry to leave you like this.”

“Don’t worry about it. I hope he’s all right. Please call and let me know.” She hesitated, seeming to want to say more. “Elise?”

“Yeah?”

“How’s Ben?”

“He’s fine. Why are you asking me that?” She stopped pulling at her rolling cart handles and stared at her sister. She imagined her look carried all the guilt of a mug shot.

“I just remember how he was the last time you caught a plane out of here, and I’m pretty sure that’s the shirt the kids bought him on Father’s Day.”

“He’s fine, Melanie. I’ll call you tomorrow.” She brushed the assumption under the surface and ran away waving good-bye.

When the flight attendant finished her instructions for seatbelts, Elise rested her head back and closed her eyes. What was she leaving behind and what was awaiting her? She wasn’t ready for any more surprises.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Sweet Home, California

It was twelve thirty when the cab dropped her at County General Hospital. She wheeled her bags through the front door and was stopped abruptly at the front information desk. The sign clearly stated the hours of visitation.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, visiting hours are over,” a large man with a flattop and too much authority said, coming around the desk.

“I just flew in from Kentucky. I’m tired, I’m on a different time zone, and I’m freaking out about my boyfriend who was in surgery today. Don’t make me say things that will make us both regret how I don’t give a shit what time it is right now.”

“Ma’am, you can enter through the emergency room entrance. This one is closed.” His eyes wavered and the shine on his metal badge nearly blinded her.

She looked around at the empty hospital entrance and then at her feet. Her still damp shoes had worn a wound on the back of her heel. There was no way she was going to drag her tired, sorry butt to the back where the emergency entrance was, just to please this do-gooder. She began whipping up sarcasm as the dead seconds hung in mid-air. “Funny, because I think I’m inside the hospital. It doesn’t seem closed to me.”

Her head ached. The time difference, the fact she had only peanuts and a vodka in her belly, and a louse for a mother, gave Elise all she needed to get locked up for the night. Just try her.

“Fine. Who is the patient?” He got the drift she was not going to go quietly.

“It’s Darren Masterson. He’s a cardiologist here.”

“Oh, Dr. Masterson.” His pinched lips and his hand on his hip slowly gave way to a sympathetic head shake. Back and forth with plenty of lamentation. “I was sorry to hear he was in an accident. He’s up on the fourth floor. I just checked on him, myself, before I started my shift.”

Her eyes widened with fear
and
relief. “Then he’s okay?”

“He’s still unconscious, but I think he’s all right. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be such a jerk. It’s just that the hospital is technically closed right now. I’m supposed to direct any visitor to the emergency entrance. You go right on up and be with him.”

“That’s all right. I didn’t mean to snap, it’s just that I’m tired and very concerned about him.” She wheeled her bags past him, aiming for the elevators. Time stood still as long as it took for the red light to blink green for her to get on. The security guard must have called ahead, because when she got off on the fourth floor, a nurse came down the hall to guide her back to Darren’s room.

“Thank you, so much. Is he all right? What happened? Is he awake?” She was pulling her noisy luggage as fast as she could, trying to keep up with the fast-paced walking nurse.

“He has suffered a concussion and his left leg was broken. We are observing him until he regains consciousness. We’ll know more then.” She turned her head slightly to the left while she talked, making Elise listen closely without the comfort of eye contact.

The nurse opened the door and slid the curtain back. Elise was surprised to see the Dr. Cindy Crawford look-alike sitting next to him, her hand resting on his arm. She quickly withdrew when the curtain revealed her.

“Elise,” she said, with wide eyes.

“Hello.” Elise parked her baggage next to the wall and walked over to Darren. Her nasty hair, cowboy shirt, and jeans made her shrink a little bit from her obvious competition. “Has he woken up?”

“No. But he will. He’s a strong man.” She stood up, backing away from the bed.

“Yes, I know he is.” Elise touched his hand, trying to avoid the IV stuck in his arm.

He lay there quietly, his head bandaged and a machine in steady balance with his heaving chest. His countenance seemed peaceful. He had no clue what the day had brought to them both. She should have been the one lying unconscious for her tawdry act of cheating. Guilt floated inside her like deathly mercury in calming waters, making her soul completely void of any light. How could she have done this to him?

“Well, I’ll go. I’m sure you’re going to stay.” It was a statement, but Elise was certain a question mark laid at the end of it.

“Of course.”

“I wasn’t sure when you’d get the message. I called your office several times. Your secretary said she’d been trying your cell phone all day.”

“I was detained and didn’t get the message until late. But I’m here now. Thank you for staying with him. Have you called his mother?”

“She’s overseas with her husband but their housekeeper said she’d give the message as soon as they called in.”

Stacy left her post, where she’d been the entire day waiting for Darren to wake up. Elise sat down in the already warmed chair beside Darren and resumed watch. Perhaps she had leaned back too far into it, or accepted the faux leather as goose down, because when she opened her eyes again, a nurse was covering her up with a stiff green blanket. Elise sat straight up, forgetting where she was. Forgetting what day it was. She quickly remembered when she saw Darren beside her, behind the silver bedrail.

“Is he awake?”

“No, ma’am. I’m just checking him. Would you like to move to the lounge chair?”

“No, thank you. I’m fine.”

After the nurse shut the door behind her, Elise settled back and dozed off again. The next time she woke up, early sunlight was streaming through the blinds. Her back cracked as she stretched to the ceiling. Darren was still unconscious.

A trial size toothbrush and a tiny tube of toothpaste sat in an ugly beige plastic container by the sink. Elise strolled over and indulged in the taste of the mint. The brush slipped from her grip, dropping in the sink. Elise noticed in the mirror, Darren began to move. She rushed over to him and took his hand, wiping her mouth with the other one.

Back and forth, his head rolled on the pillow. Slowly his eyelids unglued from each other. The beeping machine changed rhythm as he looked at Elise. She touched his forehead, being careful not to hurt whatever wound lay beneath.

“Darren? Honey, you had an accident.”

Darren seemed to be in a fog, as if trying his best to understand his surroundings. A nurse came in and began poking at the buttons on the machine. She took his wrist and checked the IV, then placed a call to the doctor on duty with her portable phone. “Dr. Masterson is awake, sir.”

He opened his mouth, trying to say something. A sour look took over and he stopped.

“His mouth is probably dry. I’ll get him some ice chips,” the nurse said before leaving the room.

Elise rubbed his hair. His dark curls fell over her fingers. She was so glad he was all right. What had she done to this poor man? The nurse came back and placed some ice chips to his mouth with a spoon. He parted his lips to the size of a pea hole to accept it. After he allowed it to melt, he tried out his voice.

“What happened?” It sounded like he was gargling gravel.

“You were in a car accident, Dr. Masterson. Your left leg was broken and you suffered a concussion. Other than that, you’re going to be fine.”

Bewilderment still lurked in his eyes. Elise knew he was unsure what had happened. He took her hand, speaking to her with his eyes, his majestic blue eyes.

“Honey, you’re going to be all right. You were in an accident. Do you remember anything about it?”

He shook his head slowly and then winced from the pain.

“Don’t move your head. Just rest. The doctor will be here and hopefully he’ll explain things to you. To us.” She smiled a sympathetic smile, wishing the last forty-eight hours were something she could wake up from, too.

He closed his eyes and gripped her hand. The doctor knocked a few times on the door before entering. He was of ancient age and wore his glasses at the end of his nose. The chart he carried held his interest.

“Dr. Masterson, I see you had a nasty collision with a windshield.” He smiled a fatherly smile at Elise.

Darren opened his eyes. “What about my head? It’s killing me.” His voice was weak and still scratchy.

“You’ll have one hell of a headache for a day or so, but I’m pretty certain you’ll live. We’ll just take a CAT scan to make sure your brain didn’t fall out in the accident.” He chuckled and scribbled something down before hanging the clipboard at the end of the bed.

“My leg?”

“Your leg is broken, sir. It was set while you slept. Five weeks, and we bust the cast open like a piñata. I hope the candy doesn’t go bad between then and now.”

Where did they get this guy? Clown Doctor University? He knocked on his cast a few times to hear the echo. With a shake of Elise’s hand, he was gone. She looked at Darren and laughed.

“We need to invite him to the next fund-raiser and ask him to take the microphone.”

There was a knock on the door. Elise sobered up from her hilarity, hoping it wasn’t him and he hadn’t just heard her comment. She stretched back to see who it was. It was Stacy and those noisy heels of hers. She’d probably never left the hospital.

“I hear we have a coherent doctor again.” The rays from her smile were brighter than the ones filtering inside the room.

Stacy’s eyes seemed to be glued to Darren. She stood at the foot of the bed and wiggled his foot. Elise assumed she had to touch him somewhere. Toes were probably not the top choice of those places.

“I have a terrible hangover. What kind of drinks did you serve at that party, anyway?” He grinned at her. A language they shared, evidently.

“I told you the punch was spiked, but you insisted on drinking it.”

Elise suddenly became the third wheel in the small one-windowed room. Number three was never her taste. “I’m going to go steal some coffee, Darren. It will give you two a chance to talk.”

Bitterness came as a very early taste that morning on Elise’s tongue. Why was Stacy so interested in Darren’s health status? Barney Fife, the guard on duty last night, only made stops
before
going on shifts. Couldn’t Cindy Crawford do the same?

Elise meandered down the hall, hating the fact that Darren was alone with that she-devil. And more than that, she was disgusted with herself for hating it. After all, wasn’t she wearing a shirt from the boudoir where she’d made love to another man? Who was she kidding? She was a harlot and a slut. Someone who didn’t deserve the company of Darren Masterson. Still, she was deeply concerned for his welfare and felt she did still rate as the hand-holder in this messed-up situation.

Elise carried her hot coffee back to his room, hoping she had given enough time to make it seem she wasn’t in the least bit jealous of Stacy. Figuring she still looked like an extra on
The Walking Dead
, she didn’t desire to be put beside her.

She pushed the large door open and peeked behind the curtain. Stacy was finishing up her conversation. “Well, I’ll check back in after my afternoon rounds, Darren. I’m glad you’re doing better.”

Elise could have sworn Stacy could see the scarlet letter beneath her shirt as she said good-bye to her. Elise watched for the door to shut before rearing her two horns. “Well, I’m happy to see you have someone who cares that much to stay the night to make sure you were better.”

“What are you talking about?” He tried to sit up a little more. The hospital bed was unyielding of any type of comfort.

“Cindy Crawford, Darren. She was here the whole time and didn’t leave last night.”

“How do you know? She’s just a concerned friend.”

“She has on the same shoes as when I got here last night. And she’s more than a concerned friend.” Elise knew what she was talking about. Girls were less mysterious than men tended to believe.

Darren gave a wide grin, breaking Elise’s tirade.

“What are you smiling at?”

“I’m happy to see you, that’s all. And a little bit of jealousy isn’t so bad either.”

“I assure you, I’m not jealous. You can have her if you want.” That would solve her guilty dilemma. Why was she raising a stink? Maybe it did scare the crap out of her when she got the call he was hurt.

“Come here, baby. I’m sorry I got banged up just to get you to come back home, but it did seem to work.” He opened his arms, inviting her to him.

Elise sauntered over and bent down for a gentle hug. He smelled like surgical tape and astringent. Soon, their love fest was interrupted by a male clearing his throat.

“Excuse me, but we’re here to take him for a CAT scan.”

Two guys approached, both dressed in solid white; the only thing different was their own style of tennis shoes. The pictures on their badges matched their faces without discrepancy. Elise backed up from Darren. They got on opposite sides of his bed, both unlocking the wheels at the same time, and started to roll him away.

“I’ll be right back. Get yourself something to eat,” Darren told her before getting rolled out into the hallway.

Elise sat on the windowsill, thinking about the last twenty-four hours of her life. The phone in her bag called out to her. Wondering if Ben had left a message tore at her curiosity. Finally, she broke down and searched for it. It had sunk to the bottom of her bag, underneath the damp clothes that had begun to smell. She turned it on, biting at her nail, waiting for the answer. Finally it lit, but nothing was there except a missed call from Melanie. No doubt, she wanted to know if Darren was okay.

“Excuse me, ma’am?” a voice called from the opened door.

Elise looked up. “Yes?”

“Is this Dr. Masterson’s room?”

The young man wore a rescue squad uniform and was holding Darren’s attaché case and a brown envelope. He walked closer to her.